Did you say this jade is only 5 yo with such a thick trunk ?!!! What did you mean by 5 yo? Did it start from a leaf cutting back then or from stem cutting which was already pretty thick?
After a few days and they've calloused over, do you use any rooting hormone to give them a boost in their new home? When you put the new cuttings in new soil, do you them water them in?
Did that plant originally grow in that size container? I want to grow a thick trunk like that before transplanting it to a bonsai container I’m wondering if I can get it in the trunk that size in that size container you have.
Dan, This plant is 6 or 7 years old. We did not start it in a pot this size it has been up potted several times. I would not recommend starting it in such a large pot for two reasons. 1. you need to have an appropriate soil to root volume ratio. If you have too much soil it can be hard to keep the plant happy because it will be sitting in damp soil for too long. 2. If you are planning on putting the plant in a bonsai pot I would start it in a bonsai pot. The roots can get quite thick and substantial over years. I would be stressful for the plant to remove them to fit in a tiny pot. I would recommend starting in a bonsai pot right away but a small one and moving up in size as needed always using a shallow pot.
I know it's been 4yrs but for anyone else reading this- I'd wait to trim until you have let the plant adjust to its new pot. Make sure it stays 'happy'. You don't want to do too many changes at once and upset it. Once you know it has adjusted well to the pot and it's still looking healthy and happy then I'd say go ahead.
I don’t want my Jade plant to look like that. Yes, it is sad looking and it will remain sad looking for the better part of a year. The trunk of this Jade is plenty thick enough. I just cut off what needs to be cut to give the plant a nice symmetric look. I don’t want the plant to look butchered. I have plants for their beauty and do not feel the need to cut off all of their growth. Pruning is necessary. If you don’t prune a Jade you can have some bad issues with overgrowth but you can cut it back without doing this. Once you have a nice thick trunk then you can simply maintain the plant with a couple of simple prunes twice a year.
